1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to receptacles for assembly in coin operated machines, and more particularly, to such receptacles which include a pair of cooperating units, one unit of which is adapted to be fixedly mounted on the interior of a machine for receiving coins and permitting the coins to pass therethrough and the other unit of which is adapted to be removably assembled to said one unit in position to receive and collect the coins which pass through said one unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin operated machines, such as machines for vending products, commonly include a receptacle installed in the interior thereof in position to receive and collect coins which have been inserted to activate the machine. Periodically, the machine is serviced by a person who opens the machine, removes the coin loaded receptacle, and replaces it within a special prefabricated position in the machine. The collected coins in the coin loaded receptacle are then deposited by the service person at an authorized accounting station.
Heretofore, such coin collecting receptacles have been fabricated of a pair of interacting parts, which include spring biased slides and spring catch mechanism. An example of such structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,483 (hereinafter referred to as the ""483 Patent), issued Mar. 18, 1997 entitled xe2x80x9cCoin and Currency Receptacle Assembly For Money Operated Machines.xe2x80x9d Said ""483 Patent is owned by the same assignee as the assignee of the present application. The disclosure of the ""483 Patent hereby is incorporated herein by specific reference.
The coin receptacle assembly of the ""483 Patent does not include security triggering means for automatically locking the coin loaded receptacle when the service person removes the receptacle from its position within the machine. As an improvement to the assembly of the ""483 Patent, it is desirable to provide such security triggering means to automatically lock the coin receptacle when it is removed from within the machine in which it initially is positioned to receive and collect coins.
The invention is characterized by a pair of units which can be assembled substantially universally in coin vending machines. A first unit is adapted to be fixedly installed in a dedicated location in the machine for passing coins therethrough which are inserted into the machine for activation thereof. A second unit is constructed to be removably assembled to said first unit for receiving and collecting the coins passing through the first unit. The second unit has a bag secured thereon into which the coins are collected and stored.
The second unit has a spring-biased closure member normally biased to a closed position over the upper end of a passageway therethrough for coins inserted into the machine. The first unit has integral cam means which engage said closure member when the two units are assembled together by sliding the second unit into said first unit. The two units have a cooperating spring biased latch and socket locking means for retaining the units in their locked assembly. When the second unit is assembled to the first unit, the spring-biased closure member is moved to an open position over the upper end of the passageway therethrough by engagement of the cam means of the first unit thereagainst, thereby to permit coins to pass through the first and second units into the coin collecting and storage bag.
The spring-biased closure member includes a secure door adapted to be engaged by a lock arm when the secure door is in its closed position, which occurs when the second unit is removed from said first unit. The lock arm maintains the secure door in said closed position and keeps the secure door from being opened until the lock arm is released from its engagement with the secure door. The lock arm is releasable from its engagement with the secure door only by an authorized person who has access thereto from the interior of the coin bag secured to the second unit.
Various objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in accordance with the above and ensuing disclosure in which a preferred embodiment is described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is contemplated that minor variations may occur to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.